PHOENIX € As much of Arizona enters an 11th year of drought conditions, the state could experience its driest winter season in centuries. And that has officials worried about agriculture, water supplies and the threat of wildfires. Arizona’s mountains are virtually bare, with snowpack conditions worse than they were at the same time in 2002 € a year that set records as one of the driest in five centuries. Rural areas are bracing for water shortages by early summer if rains don’t come. January and February typically bring much of the snow needed to refill reservoirs and keep rivers and forests healthy. But a stubborn weather pattern has been steering every storm north of Arizona so far this winter. The Salt and Verde rivers’ watersheds received just 0.14 of an inch of rain in November and December, and none has fallen in Phoenix since Oct. 18. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Larry Martinez, water supply specialist for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. “It’s quite shocking to a lot of folks who depend on the snow. There could still be a miracle turnaround; don’t underestimate Mother Nature. But the trend doesn’t […]